A photographer is refusing a prestigious award after admitting to being a “cheeky monkey” and generating the prize-winning image using artificial intelligence.

The German artist Boris Eldagsen revealed on his website that he was not accepting the prize for the creative open category, which he won at last week’s Sony world photography awards.

The winning photograph depicted two women from different generations in black and white.

In a statement on his website, Eldagsen, who studied photography and visual arts at the Art Academy of Mainz, conceptual art and intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, and fine art at the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication in Hyderabad, said he “applied as a cheeky monkey” to find out if competitions would be prepared for AI images to enter. “They are not,” he added.

“We, the photo world, need an open discussion,” said Eldagsen. “A discussion about what we want to consider photography and what not. Is the umbrella of photography large enough to invite AI images to enter – or would this be a mistake?

“With my refusal of the award I hope to speed up this debate.”

He said this was a “historic moment” as it was the first time an AI image had won a prestigious international photography competition, adding: “How many of you knew or suspected that it was AI generated? Something about this doesn’t feel right, does it?

“AI images and photography should not compete with each other in an award like this. They are different entities. AI is not photography. Therefore I will not accept the award.”

Eldagsen suggested donating the prize to a photo festival hosted in Odesa, Ukraine.

The stunt comes at a time of intense debate over the use and implications of AI with some issuing apocalyptic warnings that the technology is on the brink of irreversibly damaging the human experience.

Recent advancements in the use of AI in chatbots, driverless cars, song-writing software and the development of pharmaceuticals has spurred the discussion. Google’s chief executive, Sundar Pichai, said concerns about AI had kept him awake at night and warned that the technology can be “very harmful” if incorrectly deployed.

A spokesperson for the World Photography Organisation said Eldagsen had confirmed the “co-creation” of the image using AI to them before he was announced as the winner.

“In our correspondence, he explained how following ‘two decades of photography, my artistic focus has shifted more to exploring creative possibilities of AI generators’ and further emphasising the image heavily relies on his ‘wealth of photographic knowledge’. As per the rules of the competition, the photographers provide the warranties of their entry.

“The creative category of the open competition welcomes various experimental approaches to image making from cyanotypes and rayographs to cutting-edge digital practices. As such, following our correspondence with Boris and the warranties he provided, we felt that his entry fulfilled the criteria for this category, and we were supportive of his participation.

“Additionally, we were looking forward to engaging in a more in-depth discussion on this topic and welcomed Boris’ wish for dialogue by preparing questions for a dedicated Q&A with him for our website.

“As he has now decided to decline his award we have suspended our activities with him and in keeping with his wishes have removed him from the competition. Given his actions and subsequent statement noting his deliberate attempts at misleading us, and therefore invalidating the warranties he provided, we no longer feel we are able to engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue with him.

“We recognise the importance of this subject and its impact on image-making today. We look forward to further exploring this topic via our various channels and programmes and welcome the conversation around it. While elements of AI practices are relevant in artistic contexts of image-making, the awards always have been and will continue to be a platform for championing the excellence and skill of photographers and artists working in the medium.”

From a forest lit up by fireflies to raccoons prowling a San Francisco park: The spectacular winners of the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards revealed

By Ailbhe Macmahon For Mailonline

Published: 12:31 EDT, 17 April 2023 | Updated: 12:42 EDT, 17 April 2023

The victorious photographers in the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards have been revealed – and the images in this year’s winners’ gallery are as remarkable as ever. 

Each year, the prestigious contest, which receives entries from across the globe, runs several competitions, including the professional contest and the open competition. Standout images include a photo of a forest in India lit up in spellbinding fashion by fireflies, a hypnotic image of raccoons on the prowl in San Francisco, a breathtaking image of an Alpine meadow in Italy and a picture that shows the Milky Way framing Chureito Pagoda, a pagoda that overlooks the Japanese city of Fujiyoshida and faces Mount Fuji.

Reigning supreme overall, the Photographer of the Year title and the $25,000 (£20,220) cash prize were awarded to the Portuguese photographer Edgar Martins for his series ‘Our War’, which paid tribute to his late friend, photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was killed during the Libyan Civil War in 2011.

Commenting on his win, Martins – who submitted his winning series to the Professional competition – said: ‘It is quite an emotional experience because I get to honour my friend on a world stage… there’s no award that has the reach of the Sony World Photography Awards.’

Sharing his thoughts on Martins’ winning project, Mike Trow, Chair of the 2023 Professional competition, says: ‘Photography is so often about memory and its nature… Our War by Edgar Martins has used memory and invention to give us a powerful, personal set of portraits that attempt to explain the last days of his friend, the photojournalist Anton Hammerl. His work highlights the lengths photographers will go to tell a story and create meaning; each image giving a sense of the journey Anton took without ever being explicit about how his life ended. The entire jury this year was fulsome in their appreciation of the work and its narrative force.’

Exhibiting the work that captivated the judges, the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 exhibition opens at Somerset House, London, until May 1, featuring over 200 prints and hundreds of additional images from winning and shortlisted photographers. Scroll down to see some of the category-winning and shortlisted images from the overall contest – with Martins’ award-winning work at the very bottom…

A German artist whose AI-generated image won first prize at one of the world’s top photography competitions has declined the award 

Berlin-based “photomedia” artist Boris Eldagsen submitted his image, “The Electrician,” to the Creative category of the 2023 World Photography Organization’s Sony World Photography Awards open competition.

The picture, which appears to be a dated black-and-white portrait of two women, is part of Eldagsen’s “Pseudomnesia: Fake Memories” series(Opens in a new window). Based on the Latin term for fake memory (“such as a spurious recollection of events that never took place, as opposed to a memory that is merely inaccurate,” the project page said), the images were “co-produced” using artificial intelligence generators.

The photo—which, if you look long enough, will reveal itself to be just a little bit wrong—was shortlisted in the Creative category, and eventually selected as the overall winner on March 14.

At the time, Eldagsen, who’s been a photographer since 1989, wrote in a blog post(Opens in a new window) that he was “very happy” to have won, while also acknowledging that the work “is the result of a complex interplay of prompt engineering, inpainting, and outpainting that draws on my wealth of photographic knowledge.

“For me, working with AI image generators is a co-creation, in which I am the director,” he said. “It is not about pressing a button—and done it is. It is about exploring the complexity of this process, starting with refining text prompts, then developing a complex workflow, and mixing various platforms and techniques. The more you create such a workflow and define parameters, the higher your creative part becomes.”

A month later, Eldagsen took to the same blog to announce his refusal of the prize, asking audiences and judges how many “knew or suspected” the image was artificially generated.

“AI images and photography should not compete with each other in an award like this,” he wrote last week. “They are different entities. AI is not photography. Therefore I will not accept the award.” Instead, he suggested the World Photography Organization donate his prize—$5,000, Sony digital imaging equipment, a trip to the award ceremony in London, and more—to Fotofestiwal 2023, an international festival of photography in Poland.

“I applied as a cheeky monkey, to find out if the competitions are prepared for AI images to enter,” Eldagsen continued. “They are not. We, the photo world, need an open discussion. A discussion about what we want to consider photography and what not. Is the umbrella of photography large enough to invite AI images to enter—or would that be a mistake? With my refusal of the award I hope to speed up this debate.”

The WPO was, it turns out, aware of Eldagsen’s AI “co-creation,” a spokesperson told PCMag in an emailed statement, adding that “as per the rules of the competition, the photographers provide the warranties of their entry.

“The Creative category of the Open competition welcomes various experimental approaches to image making from cyanotypes and rayographs to cutting-edge digital practices,” the organization said. “As such, following our correspondence with Boris and the warranties he provided, we felt that his entry fulfilled the criteria for this category, and we were supportive of his participation.”

But “in keeping with his wishes,” the WPO removed Eldagsen from the competition—including replacing the display copy of “The Electrician” at the exhibition in London.

“We recognize the importance of this subject and its impact on image-making today,” the group says. “We look forward to further exploring this topic via our various channels and programmes and welcome the conversation around it. While elements of AI practices are relevant in artistic contexts of image-making, the Awards always have been and will continue to be a platform for championing the excellence and skill of photographers and artists working in the medium.”

This AI robot was made to be your best friend

Kim Ortiz, a photographer and mixed-media artist in the Hill Country Galleria, said she hopes to inspire everyone to do what they love to do.

Ortiz was a certified public accountant before being laid off in 2012; she had been taking photography courses on the side since 2008 and saw it as an opportunity to start a new career.

“It was like a turning point, and I said, ‘I’m going to do what I love,’” she said.

Ortiz then built a new photography studio in Dallas in 2014 and ran a successful business for five years before deciding to move to Austin in 2019; she eventually opened a new studio at the Galleria in January 2020. At the beginning of February, Ortiz relocated her studio to a new spot in the Galleria that she said is “more central.”

“I’ve already noticed more people stopping to look through my windows since I changed locations,” Ortiz said.

Her photography and gallery mostly features dogs; however, she said this is only part of her business as she also photographs families, families with their dogs, headshots for executives and high school seniors.While she does do traditional photography, Ortiz said her specialty is as a mixed-media artist and photographer.

“Mixed-media paintings are my signature product, and I’m the only one in Lake Travis who does them,” she said.

Mixed-media paintings are a three- to four-month process that involve taking the photos, painting the photo in a special software on the computer and then printing the photo and placing it on canvas to paint the photo by hand, she said.

Because the process involved in mixed-media art is so time-consuming, Ortiz only sees around 30-50 clients a year.

“What I do is a luxury,” she said. “But it’s also important because of the story I’m creating.”

Ortiz, who owns six rescue dogs, said she had this revelation when one of her dogs, Lexie, died in 2017.

“Dogs are like family, and they don’t live forever, but if you have a portrait done of your dog, they live forever,” she said.

She said everything she does is about creating a legacy.

“Portraits are all we have of our family when someone dies,” she said.

Ortiz also said she hopes to create lasting legacies through her work and donations to nonprofit organizations. In the last 10 years, she has raised $30,000 for various organizations, and she is working on raising money through her business for the American Heart Association and the Austin Humane Society.

“I’m very fortunate to be here at the Hill Country Galleria because I live here,” she said. “I’m very active in the community, and anyone who asks for a donation, whatever nonprofit it is, I will donate.”

Kim Ortiz Portrait Art

12700 Hill Country Blvd., Ste. S-120, Bee Cave

512-817-4996

www.kimortiz.com

Hours: Tue.-Fri. 1-5 p.m., Sat. by appointment only, closed Sun.-Mon.

Photography is more accessible and popular than ever before in the digital age. The ascent of virtual entertainment stages and online commercial centers has made a huge crowd for picture takers to grandstand and sell their work. There are numerous opportunities to turn your passion for photography into a profitable business, whether you are a professional or a hobbyist. From selling prints and computerized downloads to permitting your photographs or offering photography administrations, there are multiple ways of adapting your photograph workmanship. You can turn your passion for photography into a rewarding career or side business with the right approach and dedication. You can achieve financial success while pursuing your creative passion by evaluating a variety of options and selecting those that are most effective for you.

Selling prints and advanced downloads is one of the most famous ways of adapting your photograph craftsmanship. It is now easier than ever to sell your prints and digital downloads online and reach a global audience thanks to the internet. You can set up an internet based store on your site or utilize an outsider stage like Etsy or Compelling artwork America to sell your work. You can manage your sales and shipments with the tools and audience these platforms provide. You can also promote your prints and digital downloads on social media to attract customers to your online store.

To ensure customer satisfaction, it is essential to use high-quality printing and paper when selling prints. You might want to think about hiring a professional print shop or investing in high-quality paper and printer. If you want to give your customers a variety of options, you should also think about the size and framing options for your prints. Make sure to offer a variety of file formats and sizes when selling digital downloads to meet the needs of different customers. Customers who prefer to print their own photos at home may find digital downloads to be a cost-effective and convenient alternative.

In conclusion, selling prints and digital downloads of your photo art is a great way to make money. You can showcase your work to potential clients and reach a global audience by utilizing the power of the internet and social media. You can build a solid brand reputation and ensure customer satisfaction with high-quality printing and paper products.

Another lucrative way to make money from your photo art is to license it. When you sell a photo license, you give someone permission to use it in a certain way, like in a book, magazine, or advertising campaign. You can charge a fee for the usage rights under the non-exclusive or exclusive license.

You can pitch your photo to publishers, advertising agencies, or businesses directly to use it in a particular project or campaign. You also have the option of selling your images on stock photography websites like Shutterstock or iStock. Photographers can sell their images on these platforms to a wide range of clients, including small businesses and multinational corporations.

It is essential to comprehend the usage rights and license fees when licensing your photos. License fees can vary depending on the intended use, duration of the license, and exclusivity of the license, and usage rights can range from one-time use to unlimited use. When licensing your photos, you should also take copyright ownership, credit requirements, and model releases into account.

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Making a photograph book or schedule is a remarkable way to feature your photograph craftsmanship and possibly bring in cash. A collection of your photos can be used to tell a story or convey a theme in a photo book, and a calendar can feature your photos in a practical and decorative way. Print-on-demand services, local retailers like gift shops and bookstores, or your website are all options for selling these products.

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A great way to turn your love of photography into a profitable business is to provide photography services. There are a few specializations you can look over, like picture photography, wedding photography, occasion photography, or business photography. It is essential to select a specialization that complements your interests and strengths because each of these specializations requires different skills and equipment.

You must create a portfolio of your work before you can begin providing photography services. This can be accomplished by volunteering to photograph events or organizations or by taking pictures of friends and family. Utilize web-based entertainment and verbal exchange to advance your administrations and fabricate your client base. To meet potential customers, you can also attend networking events or join local photography groups.

It is essential to take into account all costs when establishing a price for your services, including post-processing, travel, and equipment. Conduct market research and set a competitive price for your services to guarantee a profit. To increase your revenue and provide customers with more value, you can offer packages or add-ons.

In conclusion, making money from your photo art by providing photography services is rewarding. You can attract clients and build a successful business by selecting a specialization that aligns with your interests and creating a solid portfolio. To ensure that you make a profit, promote your services via social media and word-of-mouth, and set your prices competitively. You can turn your love of photography into a fulfilling and lucrative career with hard work and dedication.

At this point , I want to share best Photo Editing program below. If you want to make money with Photo Art . I strongly recommend this program.

Photo Edit Special Offer — Corel

Teaching photography classes is a great way to share your knowledge and skills with others while making money from your art. You can offer classes face to face or internet, contingent upon your inclinations and the interest for your courses.

For those who are new to photography or want to improve their skills, beginner-level courses on basic photography techniques, camera settings, and composition are excellent options. Further developed courses can zero in on unambiguous subjects like scene or picture photography, photograph altering, or lighting procedures. When designing your courses, take into account the skill level of your target audience.

Make use of your website and social media to advertise your photography classes. To reach a larger audience, you can also promote your classes by collaborating with venues or photography organizations in the area. Make a point to make an expert and coordinated educational program for your courses, remembering clear learning targets and hands-for exercises. It’s likewise fundamental to establish an inviting and drawing in learning climate to make the experience charming and vital for your understudies.

Pricing for photography classes can vary based on the audience you want to reach and the material covered. Conduct market research and set your courses’ prices affordably to guarantee a profit. You can also encourage enrollment and cultivate a devoted following by offering package deals or discounts.

All in all, showing photography classes is a great method for adapting your photograph craftsmanship while offering your insight and abilities to other people. You can attract a diverse audience and establish a profitable business by offering courses on a variety of subjects and skill levels. Make use of your website and social media to promote your classes, develop a well-organized and professional curriculum, and set competitive prices for your courses to guarantee a profit.

With the right strategy and approach, you can profit from your photo art. Think about making photo books or calendars, licensing your images, selling prints and digital downloads, offering photography services, or teaching photography classes. Regardless of your choice, you should ensure that you invest in high-quality tools and supplies, construct a solid portfolio, and promote your work via social media and other marketing channels. You can turn your love of photography into a profitable business with persistence and hard work.

Courtesy photo

Just ask, and Roy Inman will be quick to tell you about his—as he jokingly puts it—“checkered photography career.” His lifelong stint as an ace photojournalist has taken him “on board America’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, to the White House, and to Fashion Week in New York,” he says. “And, of course, all over my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.”  

Inman tells us he worked as a city desk photographer after graduating from the University of Kansas and earning an MA in photojournalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. (Fun fact: he was director of photography for the Kansas City Star’s Sunday Star Magazine for a total of 17 years.)

His work has been published in plenty of well-known publications, including Time, The New York Times, and Better Homes and Gardens, but he says his favorite thing to photograph is “what’s in front of his camera at the moment.”

He’s also the resident photographer at Union Station and can often be seen with a camera in hand at the iconic tourist attraction. (Yes, you probably have his famous parade crowd shots from the Royals’ World Series or Chiefs Super Bowl hanging in your mancave.) In fact, Union Station is so near and dear to Inman’s heart he spent five years documenting the building’s pristine restoration. He even produced a book showcasing that work: Kansas City’s Union Station: Reflections After 100 Years.

We caught up with Inman in between a hectic day of shooting to query him with our four whackadoo questions. Fortunately, he only made us carry his gear for seven of his nine shoots that day. 

The Pitch: What’s the single best photo you’ve ever taken?

Photo by Roy Inman

Roy Inman: So, I was shooting this ginormous event at our beloved Union Station, a benefit for something or other, people in costume and all that. I saw one person dressed as King Kong and had in tow a flashy, big-bosomed blond woman resembling Fay Wray. Quite the scene it was. 

But then—then, I spied this amazing, gorgeous (in her own way), obviously self-actualizing creature with spiked hair and eyes that resembled a Star Trek character. Love at first sight for a roving photographer. She embodied all of the joy, laughter, and unbridled enthusiasm that is humankind. 

What’s your favorite, impossibly perfect, go-to, on-the-run photography snack?

That’s an easy one—Oreo Mint Thins. Not a big fan am I of the big glob of filling found in regular Oreos. In addition, the thin ones suggest to me that by eating them, I will actually get thinner! What a genius marketing idea! 

The only drawback to eating thin mint Oreos in the car is the little black crumbs that tend to collect on everything, including me. Fortunately, when I am out shooting, I typically wear black to blend into the background, the goal of every photojournalist.

You get a one-hour coffee klatch with any photographer. Who are you choosing to kibitz with?

One hour coffee with Ansel Adams would be my choice. He was well-grounded in life and photography—and an absolute master at black-and-white printing. Along with Fred Archer, Adams invented the Zone System, a complex formulation that virtually guaranteed every B&W final print to be sheer perfection. 

Who do you think the world’s most impossible celeb would be to shoot? (You know, a true diva, but not in a good way.)

Sean Penn. Don’t like the cut of his jib. 

He always looks as if he just sucked on a lemon. Or maybe ate a raw potato that had stayed in the ground too long. Uck! I know, I know, he probably has millions of adoring fans, and he has probably won some award or other, but I have never seen a film or even an interview with him that I liked. 

However, being a freelancer and always trying to stay ahead of the rent, I would take on the task for enough money. I mean, a lot of money. Then, take a shower afterward.

Lee-Ann Olwage, a visual storyteller from South Africa, has won 1st place in the professional creative category at the World Photography Organisation. The winners of the various categories of the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards 2023 were announced at a special gala ceremony in London, hosted by broadcaster and art historian Kate Bryan.

In Lee-Ann’s award-winning submission, The Right to Play, she features Maasai girls from Kenya where the majority (over 80%) leave school at the age of 12 to get married. Lee-Ann seeks to reveal what’s possible when these girls are given the chance to choose a different path.

Lee-Ann, who uses photography as a mode of co-creation and celebration, says:

«What do girls dream of? And what happens when a supportive environment is created where girls are empowered and given the opportunity to learn and dream? The Right to Play creates a playful world where girls are shown in an empowered and affirming way.»

The multi award-winning photographer says that worldwide, it is estimated that around 129 million girls are out of school and only 49 percent of countries have achieved gender parity in primary education, with the gap widening at secondary school level.

« Every day, girls face barriers to education caused by poverty, cultural norms and practices such as FGM, poor infrastructure and violence, » she says, adding:

« For this project, I worked with girls from Kakenya’s Dream in Enoosaen, Kenya who have avoided FGM and child marriage, showing what the world can look like when girls are given the opportunity to continue learning in an environment that supports them and their dreams. »

Acclaimed photographer Edgar Martins from Portugal won the overall Photographer of the year title, scooping a $25,000 (USD) cash prize, and a range of Sony digital imaging equipment Additionally, Martins receives a solo presentation of his work as part of next year’s Sony World Photography Awards exhibition.

Also announced at the event were the 10 category winners, and those who placed 2nd and 3rd in the Professional competition, as well as the overall winners of the Open, Youth and Student competitions and the first-time winner of the Sustainability Prize.

To view Lee-Ann’s prize-winning photographs, the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 exhibition is at Somerset House, London until 1 May 2023, featuring over 200 prints and hundreds of additional images in digital displays from winning and shortlisted photographers.

Or view her photos on the World Photographer’s page here.

Wildlife photography is a challenging genre that requires sound technique, specialized equipment, particular knowledge, and heaps of patience, often for just a few seconds of prime opportunity for a shot. Whether you are new to the genre or a seasoned pro, this helpful video tutorial will show you six common mistakes wildlife photographers make and how to fix them or avoid them in the first place. 

Coming to you from Steve Perry, this awesome video tutorial discusses six common mistakes wildlife photographers make and how to fix or avoid them. One that many of us are often guilty of (myself included) is not checking the background. This is a common problem across many genres: events, portraits, weddings, and more. It is a natural thing: we tend to focus closely on ensuring we get the shot of the subject, particularly when it is in a narrow time window, and as such, we lose focus of what is going on in the background, often not even noticing a distraction in the frame until we look at the images on our computer later on. Getting in the habit of checking the background more often will help you create better images and avoid that aforementioned frustration. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Perry.